Friday, October 22, 2010

Miscellaneous Friday

As I was leaving work yesterday, I noticed a crow perched in a precarious position in a parking lot tree:There was a bit of wind, and she was being blown all over, making sure to keep her hold on the tiny branch. It reminded me of an amusement park ride!

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Thomas got home before me yesterday, so all of the parrots were out when I got home. Knowing my routine, Rocky ran over to the stairs to try to scare me. I always go upstairs to my bedroom after getting home to change into lounging around clothes. Rocky likes to sneak attack me by hiding around corners, so must have been so delighted at this opportunity -- a sneak attack on the stairs!

Unfortunately for Rocky, Thomas discovered him before he could put his plot into action. (Also, after being attacked this way in the past, I am always aware of Rocky's position in order to prevent such an attack, so he wouldn't have been successful even if Thomas hadn't outed him.)

Thomas called me over so I could see the thwarted macaw, but Max arrived first as I had to grab the camera. She was not pleased to see him on the stairs (she considers the stairs to belong to her) and flew at him, forcing him to fly down to the ground.

When I pushed the button to take this picture, Rocky was on the stairs, but Max moved so quickly, this is the shot that actually stuck:
Max in mid-attack, even though her victim has already fled.

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Speaking of Rocky, I think he might be secretly British. He's always had a good sense of humor, laughing at appropriate times, but the past few nights he's been unstoppable. We've been watching Fawlty Towers, through which Rocky laughs constantly! And always at appropriate times.

His laughter is so infectious that we've had to pause and rewatch on several occasions as we're laughing too hard to follow the show. Maybe Basil Fawlty gave him the idea to attack me on the stairs?

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Quick running update -- earlier this month, I ran my 13th marathon, and ran a personal best time! The day was absolutely perfect -- one of those days I wouldn't mind being able to relive.

I've decided to run a marathon in all 50 states and DC. Having run 13 marathons, you might think I'm well on my way to reaching that goal, but sadly, that is not the case. I've run two different marathons six times each, so my 13 marathons result in only three states. I've got a long way to go!

Thomas and I will be running a marathon in late winter in another state (Thomas's first marathon in almost 10 years!) and I'm hoping to get at least three more states done in 2011, which will more than double my current total.

I'm so excited about combining travel and marathoning!

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I'm at home, but upstairs. The parrots are in their cages, and they are so pleasantly vocal! They are singing, whistling, talking, beeping, kissing, etc. I miss their sounds when I'm at work.

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The parrots are getting a little frustrated with their favorite baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Luckily they were able to stave off elimination last night. The game went on past their bedtimes, so they'd thought the worst and had a restless night. I had some very happy parrots this morning :) All we need now is a two game home winning streak. Go Phillies!

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Hope everyone has a great weekend! As usual, we are trying to cram tons of stuff into our weekend, plus Thomas has to work. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures!

3 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Come do a marathon in Utah! I will cheer for you. We have one in July every year to celebrate Pioneer Day (when the Mormons decided to settle in Utah).

Meg said...

I love the pic of Max on the stairs!

I have been away for so long, and I am so glad to be back. I have tried to scan through some of your posts just to catch the major events. I am so glad Steve found a good home, I know you are now fully hooked on fostering, right?

I am so so sad to see that Daphne has passed. She was such a special budgie, and I know you loved her so much, as anyone would. At least it seems like she had a peaceful passing, which is a gift in itself, along with the happy years she had with you.

Mary said...

Elizabeth -- we will be in Utah some time; just not sure what year. I will keep you updated!

Meg -- so great to hear from you again. I'm glad you're feeling better and look forward to catching up with you on your blog!

We will definitely foster again, though it might be hard to replicate Steve's successful placement -- Shannon was just perfect for him!

And thanks for the condolences on Daphne. She did have a peaceful passing and a good few years with us. I still miss the budgie sounds in the house, but just can't risk another small bird right now.